Simple stone tools persisted almost unchanged until about 250,000 years ago, only then more elaborate tools, like blades or small, delicate artifacts, appear in the archaeological record. In 1987 chimpanzees in southeastern Guinea, eastern Liberia and western Ivory Coast were observed to use large rocks to crack open hard palm nuts. The use of tools by primates may not be that surprising, as humans are also primates, however, also animals like sea otters, birds and even fish can use stone tools. Some birds, like the bearded vulture, drop bones on stones to crack open the hard bones and to get to the soft marrow. Sea otters are known to fish for small pebbles, place them on their chest and then crack open shellfish on them.

Source: Forbes March 16, 2019 18:22 UTC